Intrepid
Major
Ship installations have normaly three turbines and a additional an astern turbine. Not to forget the condenser in the vicinity below.
CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
that is a power generation turbine, which turns only one way, and expands through stages on the same spindle. It is not representative of either the complexity or the compactness of marine steam turbines, which would be size constrained, have to be able to turn both ways, and in a high speed vessel, the output shaft can turn at higher RPM than on many power plant turbogenerators.
Marine steam turbines have at least two spindles, to enable ahead and astern operation. Many marine steam turbines have 3 spindles, with high and low pressure ahead stages on different spindles, and a third spindle for astern. All the spindles are meshed with the same gear box. A typical modern marine steam turbine would have all three spindles in the same casing, unlike early marine steam turbines, where the spindles could be in entirely Different engine rooms. A typical modern high speed marine steam turbine‘s double reduction gear box casing would be roughly the same size as the casing for the steam turbine.
Isn't 003 using an integrated electric propulsion system? Wouldn't that mean its steam turbines would be more or less power generation turbines instead of traditional marine steam turbines?
It is unlikely that 003 will have IFEP. If it's going to match the speed of US conventional carriers, its combined propulsion + pulse + electronic and service power requirement will have to surpass 200MW. That's more electrical power generation than even the Ford class (~160MW) and is likely too risky at this point in time for the PLAN which has not yet operated an IFEP or even hybrid-electric vessel.
The rumors I've heard from other forum members spoke of a 7kV onboard DC network in trials. That voltage is too low to meet the requirements of a +200 MW load. For comparison, the Ford class use double that (13,8 kV AC) to distribute their 160 MWs. The propulsive power on the other hand is delivered mechanically. The steam here plays the role of integrated power, as it can be shared between propulsive and non-propulsive loads. I expect the 003 to have a similar arrangement, if not as integrated.
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I'd say with the bow and stern remaining as is visible, the hangar level is more like half done at best, rather than nearly done.
That said it's just a matter of time.
But isn't this the old question on "the glass of wine is half-full or half-empty!"?
At least there is some progress visible since the last known image from 24th February.